


Trick Or Trust?

by SkylerSkyhigh



Series: Nightmare's Gang [9]
Category: Undertale
Genre: Gullible Cross, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Manipulation, Protective killer, Sad Cross
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-27
Updated: 2018-02-27
Packaged: 2019-03-24 16:51:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,664
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13815396
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SkylerSkyhigh/pseuds/SkylerSkyhigh
Summary: Cross wants to be part of the group. He wants to prove to Nightmare that he deserves to be pert of this group- this family. A certain monster takes advantage of his wish and it made him vulnerable.





	Trick Or Trust?

**Author's Note:**

> Forgive me Jackie for ruining your Sans! Seriously I am...making these characters too OOC. Can I just remedy that by just saying that this is a different multiverse? No? *Cries*

Cross chuckles from the bottom of a tree as he watches Killer and Dust kill monsters. They both look so happy making others suffer. Chaos and panic rang around them as his gang mates attacked every monster in sight. They're at a copy of an au, an au where monsters are on the surface. They were bored hanging out at the hideout with nothing to do so they decided to help Error and Nightmare by killing the monsters and humans in a few aus to clear them. An empty au is easier to destroy than a full one. They might as well fill their time by having fun. 

Cross tensed when Killer landed the final blow before Dust and killed the monster, turning them to dust. Dust grinned at Killer in a thanks before he launches himself at another monster. 

Cross bit his lip as he watched as more and more monsters turned to dust and humans slaughtered. At the moment he felt...useless. Unlike his gang mates, he doesn't want to kill. Sure Dust doesn't land the killing blow but he can't risk gaining Determination. If he could, he would kill monsters and humans without a second thought. Cross just doesn't... _want_ to kill. Both Horror and Killer kills, both take the killing blow before Dust or he himself did. They did the killing, not Cross. 

The gang has been so understanding. They don't force him to kill nor encourage. Nightmare doesn't force him to kill and the gang usually gives him jobs that don't require him to kill like be a spy or a guard. While he's grateful for it, he can't help but feel useless....worthless because he can't do something so simple like the others. Killing is...a given with this group. Killer has killed. Dust has killed. Horror has killed. Even Nightmare has killed. Only Cross hasn't killed anyone. 

He knows being in this group that killing comes with the job. Everyone knows that. Especially Inky and the Light Sanses who attacked him when they saw him with the gang. They thought he had killed someone but...he didn't. And he felt so ashamed for it. The others can kill...so why can't he?

Cross looks down at his feet with a sigh. He wished he could be useful for once. 

"Hey kid."

Cross' head snapped up when he heard the call and looks around. 

"Over here!"

He turns to the right and sees a shady looking monster between two buildings. He cocks his head to the side questioningly. 

"Yes you! I want to talk to you!" they whispered. 

He looks back towards his gang mates with an uncertain look, debating on going to them or talk with the monster. 

"Don't worry, I won't hurt ya! I just wanna talk!"

With a silent gulp, Cross walks over to the monster and puts on a brave face. They're wearing a large black trench coat with the hood up, obscuring their face from him. It's hard to tell what monster they are but Cross ignored that because monster or human, it doesn't make a difference. 

"If you do anything..." he trails off in a warning which the monster waved off. 

"Yeah yeah. Look, I noticed you looking all sad over there watching those guys kill." the monster notes making Cross tense up. 

"They're my _friends_." he grips on that word with a glare. The way he said it comes off as a warning. If this monsters so much as lay a finger on him....the they'll find themselves on the wrong end of a knife. 

"Alright then, so I saw you all sad and stuff. Thinking about joining?" they asked with a grin. "I can see that you're a strong monster. Fully capable of causing some serious damage! Now I'm baffled at why you're standing over there like a sad little monster."

Cross hesitates at the remark and looks away for a moment in thought. "I don't like to kill." he says truthfully. 

"Ah. And you want to kill?" they asked. 

Cross didn't respond for a moment, deep in thought as he refuses to meet the monster in the eye. "I..."

"Buddy, I can see it in your eyes that you want to. So what's keeping you?" they ask and leans closer. Cross raises his head at the movement and stares into the monster's eye. A single hypnotic spiral red eye staring right into Cross' Soul. Seeing his reasons and wishes, his desires. His wants and needs vulnerable to his piercing eye. " _Don't you want to make them proud?_ "

"I..." Cross' eye lights begins to have a red hazy glow around it. "I..."

" _Don't you want to make **him** proud? Proud that you're finally able to kill monsters....just like your brothers?_ "

"I...I do." Cross drones as he relaxes. His shoulders losing their tension and his face going slack.

The monster smiles under his hood and pulls out a red vial from his coat. 

" _Just imagine the look on Nightmare's face when you come back with dust on your hands. Finally, you'll be useful. You'll be just like them. Part of the family. That's what you wanted...don't you?_ " 

The monster slowly raises the vial towards Cross, the red liquid swirling inside the glass container. Lust and Joy fills the monster's Soul when the skeleton begins to fall under his magic. Just a little more...then he'll have his perfect puppet. His toy to use. No one will go against him with a dangerous skeleton on his side. 

"I...yes. Yes, that's what I want." Cross said in an almost monotone voice. 

" _You can fulfill that wish of yours. All you have to do is take this potion and drink it. It'll help you kill monster, just like you wanted_." the monster hands him the vial. " _You can make them proud. You can earn your place in their group. You can be useful._ "

"I can...be useful." Cross said and slowly raises his hand to take the vial. The monster grins in anticipation as he watches the skeleton slowly reach for the vial. So close. So close for his goal to reached. 

Just as Cross' phalenges brushed against the glass, the vial was thrown away from him by a bone attack. 

"What?! No!" the monster hollered in anguish as the vial fell onto the ground, spilling red liquid and making it unusable. 

"GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM MY BROTHER!"

The monster dodged another bone attack directed at him and saw another skeleton with black tear tracks on his skull. The monster glared at him with hatred and raises a hand to shoot out more bone attacks. The monster dodges and flees from the scene. 

"And don't you dare come back you motherfucker!!!" Killer yells at the retreating figure with a murderous look before he turns towards a dazed and confused Cross. 

Cross held his skull as he blinks, trying to clear his hazy mind and figure out what had happened to him. The last thing he remembers was talking to that monster before it all went hazy. Cross looks up and shrinks at the piercing look Killer is giving him. It doesn't help that he's covered in dust and blood. Dust stood behind him also covered in blood and stares at Cross with concern. 

"I-. I-" Cross stutters, not knowing how to remedy the situation because yes, it is exactly what it looks. 

"Hideout. _Now_." Killer growls lowly making Cross flinch. He raises a hand and opens a portal back home. All three skeletons jump through the portal without a word, leaving the au in chaos. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------

Three skeletons landed in the living room before the portal closes, leaving the three to stand in tense silence. 

Cross fiddles with his scarf as he refuses to meet Killer's furious gaze. Killer turns around so that his back is facing Cross, his hands on his skull as he growls. Dust looks between the two in confusion before moving towards Cross. 

"You okay? Did he hurt you?" Dust asks as he looks over the younger for any injuries. His eyes showing great concern for their youngest. 

"I- I'm fine Dust. I'm not hurt." Cross said with a small smile at the other's worry. At least Dust doesn't hate him. 

"You could have!" Killer snaps, spinning around to glare at Cross with empty eye sockets. Cross flinches at his scream while Dust looks at Killer in disapproval. 

"What the hell happened?!" Killer demanded the smaller, the latter shrinking into his jacket with shame and guilt. 

"I-. A monster called for me and I...went to him. We were just talking and I-"

"You could've gotten hurt!" Killer cut him off furiously making Cross winch. "You are so gullible! So easily manipulated! You should have known not to go after shady monsters!"

"Killer, lay off." Dust said softly to the eldest, trying to placate him after he sees Cross flinch at his words. "He didn't know."

"That doesn't excuse anything!" Killer snaps now glaring at Dust. His fists shook at his sides in barely contained anger before he turns back towards a shaking Cross. 

"I- I'm sorry." Cross said shakily while looking down. 

Killer presses his lip together as he stares at Cross with narrowed eyes. "Do you have _any_ idea how worried I was? How worried _we_ were?"

Cross refuses to answer, instead keeping silent as he listens to Killer. Dust standing behind him giving him comfort. 

"That au was _dangerous_. That vial that you were about to take was liquid BloodLust." Killer explains while pointing where the portal used to be. His words making Cross' eyes widen in shock and fear. "But you don't _have_ BloodLust. Which means the control side of that concoction would have taken effect! If you had drunken that, you'd been under that monster's control! We had almost lost you Cross! And there was no guarantee that we would have gotten you back!"

Cross felt so dumbfounded and shocked that there is something like that. But he really shouldn't be surprised. Inky makes tons of aus and many had time to grow. So something like that is not impossible. He also feels so stupid for getting close to that monster and almost losing his mind. If he hadn't been so stupid-!

"I- I'm sorry Killer." Cross said softly full of shame and remorse. Purple tears begins to dot the corners or his eye sockets as he trembled. "I'm sorry."

Killer's glare softened at the look on devastated Cross' face. He walks closer and pulls Cross into a small hug making the smaller jump in surprise. 

"I'm sorry too. I'm sorry for yelling at you." he said to the other's skull. He pulls away slightly to look at Cross' eyes. His white eye lights now floating in his dark sockets, smaller than a normal Sans' eye lights but still visible. Those eye lights show care and affection as he touches Cross cheek gently with his knuckles. "But please, don't run off like that. I was so worried and scared that I'd lose you. That _we'd_ lose you."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to." Cross said in a small voice as he meets Killer's eyes. "I really didn't."

"It's okay. You're safe now. You're safe." the taller said, mostly to himself before he embraces Cross once more. The feeling of Cross in his arms eased his panicked Soul. 

"Why'd you even go to that monster?" Dust asks with a raised brow. He didn't know why Cross went to that creep in the first place. Cross is usually very wary, as anxious as he can be why this time did he go to a weird shady monster?

"I um... He said something about...helping me kill other monsters." Cross admitted truthfully. 

"Why'd you do that?" Killer asks in surprise. He knows Cross doesn't like killing. It's what differs him from the rest of the gang. It's what makes him special. And much more deserving. It still angers them how the Light Sanses judged Cross so harshly without giving him a chance to know him. Cross is not like them. He's different. If only the Light Sanses knew that. 

"I just. I feel bad when I watch all of you kill others. I guess I just felt so worthless when all of you would kill monsters while I won't." Cross looks down sadly, avoiding their faces fearing the worst. "I feel like I don't deserve to be in this gang."

"Don't say that." Killer says sternly, gently gripping Cross' chin and stares into his eyes to convey his words seriously. "You deserve to be in this gang. I don't need to explain why. Nightmare wants you here. I want you here. And I'm sure everyone else wants you here too."

"I can't say for Horror but I want you here Cross." Dust cuts in with a gentle smile. "You're the bestest friend I have."

Cross stares at Dust with wide and sad eyes, conflict clear in his expression. "But...I don't want to kill. How can I...?"

"You don't have to kill if you don't want to." Killer told him. "Killing isn't what makes you part of this group. It's also not a necessity when joining it."

"Killer's right, Cross. Killing monsters isn't what got any of us into this group." Dust explains as he walks closer to them, Cross focusing on the dust covered skeleton. "It's certainly not the reason Nightmare keeps us around, no matter how many times we bug him. If that's the case then I'd be kicked out a long time ago."

"You see? You do deserve to be in this group." Killers says with a smile. 

"But... Why does Nightmare keeps me around...? I don't...I'm not useful like you all. I'm just...a worthless piece of trash." Cross says dejectedly, feeling his Soul going heavy. 

"Now don't say that. You aren't worthless Cross." Killer says with a stern voice. 

"And besides, if you want to know why Nightmare keeps you around then you better ask him yourself." Dust cuts in. "I can't say for him nor do I know the reason. But I'm sure it's a pretty good one. I have a good guess that it's the same reason he keeps all of us around."

"I..." Cross wants to say something but he closes his mouth instead. Thinking back, he really wants to be part of this group. Since he's not as useful as the others in terms of strength. He wants to know why Nightmare let him stay here eventhough he's done nothing to deserve it. He's done nothing to deserve his care and a roof over his head. But somehow....

"I...I won't ask him." he decides much to their surprise. "I might not want to know the answer. And it really doesn't matter." he gives them both a small smile. It relaxes them a small bit knowing that Cross is smiling again. "I like it here. And...I want to be part of this group. Even if I have to earn it."

"Cross, you don't have to earn or prove anything." Dust says gently, grimacing at his attempt at 'earning his place'. It ended up causing more harm than good. "Nightmare says that you are welcomed here, deserving of this group then you are. You don't need to prove yourself to anyone. Trust me."

Cross' and Killer's eyes widened in realization. That's right. Dust tried to prove himself that he deserves to be in the group. It...didn't end well. Ended up hurting him more than what it was worth. Nightmare even said it himself, he wants them here. While it is tempting to try and prove himself to the dark skeleton...

"Okay Dust, I won't." Cross said with a gentle smile gaining a relieved one from Dust. 

He doesn't need to prove himself. Just as long Nightmare wants him in the group, Nightmare and the others wants _him_ , then he'll stay. He trusts them.

**Author's Note:**

> Well, I hope you liked it! I'm also uh...making...a crack ship...accidentally.... It's uh... A ship... Between...Nightmare and Caretaker PJ. 
> 
> It was not my intention I swear! It just happened. And uh...I'll...publish it later. Cause...I worked really hard on it... As an excuse....to make... Fatherly Nightmare and...baby bones gang. I'm sorry. *Cries in shame and hides away in a nest* (mmm, soft)


End file.
